ZiZi The Zither is a traditional folk
instrument from Austria and Germany. The modern concert zither
blends elements of the harp and the guitar.The appearance is
slightly similar to an autoharp, although the autoharp is no
match for the concert zither for beauty or complexity. The zither
has a set of harp strings that occupies most of the body of the
instrument. On the side nearest the player there is a fretted
fingerboard with five strings. The melody is played on this guitar-like
set of strings. Fingering the melody strings is accomplished
by pressing the fingers of the left hand down onto the strings
from above. The melody strings are plucked with a thumb pick
on the right thumb. The numerous accompaniment strings are plucked
with the fingers of the right hand. The first two fingers play
harmony accompaniment, the third finger is used to play the bass
accompaniment, the fourth finger plays contrabass accompaniment.
Many variations of the zither have been devised over the years.
From very simple versions with no melody strings, to versions
with 3 to 7 melody strings. The number of accompaniment strings
ranges from 10 to 37. Zither size also varies. There is one version
that has more than 70 strings. Various standards have been developed
for tuning the zither. Viennese tuning and Munich tuning are
the common standards. However, there are more than 50 regional
preferences for tunings. The charm of the zither derives, foremost,
from the beautiful tone of the zither. The melody strings produce
a clear high sound. The accompaniment strings add a warm and
gentle harmony. The sound of the melody and accompaniment strings
blend and reinforce each other to produce an exquisite and complex
tone which gives the impression of two instruments played in
a duet.Many original songs have been composed and arranged for
the zither. Perhaps the most famous are the scores from the movies
"The Third Man" and "Story of the Viennese Wood".
There are countless more original tunes for the zither, ranging
from folk songs, polkas, and country dances, thru the waltz,
sonatas, concertos, and suites.The zither is a challenging instrument
to master. It is not possible to play the instrument causally.
One must make a commitment not only to practice but also to study
and understand both the theory of music as well as the unique
layout of the strings on the zither. The order of the accompaniment
strings is not a simple sequence of rising pitch. The strings
are arranged in a clever and complex order that positions the
strings favorably to be reached by the fingers. However, for
the beginning zither player, that wonderfully clever arrangement
is a challenge to learn. Even though the music of the concert
zither is so beautiful, there are now very few zither professional
players in the world.河 |
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お問い合わせ Mail：zither@mail.goo.ne.jp）
Copyright 2009 Kono Zither Music all right reserved. Kono Zither Music. Tokyo Japan. since 1962
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One
of the few true zither professionals in the world. Known world
wide, as a solo performer, an orchestra performer, and a recording
artist as well. He is a precious asset of which Japan can be
justifiably proud. His sonorous elegantsound and the high level
of artistry of his performances have captivated audiences and
stirred intense interest. He is very active as a composer and
arranger for the zither, as a transcriber of forgotten classical
music pieces, and as a collector and scholar of zither scores
and documents.
Trained
during childhood in Heidelberg, Germany. Learned zither, violin,
and piano composition from his father (Yasuto Kono) before returning
to Europe in 1980 for further applied musical training. Began
performing in live in concert throughout Japan in 1985 and performed
in Shanghai in 1991, France and Heidelberg in 1991, Maui in 2007.
Currently performing primarily in solo concerts which provide
a wide variety of